BACKGROUND: The management of invasive fungal infection (IFI) is challenging in immunocompromised patients who do not fully satisfy the EORTC/MSG diagnostic criteria of proven or probable IFI. Our study assessed caspofungin efficacy in 582 Chinese patients with hematological malignancies exhibiting unclassified signs or symptoms of IFI.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included caspofungin treatment outcomes of an unclassified group A (n=401) of patients without microbiological or biomarker results and group B (n=181) patients with positive microbiological or biomarker results. Factors that correlated with clinical outcomes were determined using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS: Cough (41.8%), expectoration (29.6%), and chest tightness (14.6%) were the most common clinical features, and changes in CT images (88.1%) were more frequently detected than in X-ray images (19.6%) in all patients. Favorable response rates for caspofungin as first-line treatment were 58.2% for group A and 56.3% for group B. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score, cardiovascular disease, hemoptysis, and absolute neutrophil count (ANC) <1000/mm³ before antifungal treatment without recovery were associated with unfavorable clinical outcome (P<0.05 for all). Cough and ANC recovery >1000/mm3 were significantly associated with favorable (complete or partial resolution) outcome.

CONCLUSIONS: Caspofungin was effective for treating unclassified IFIs of immunocompromised patients. Cardiovascular disease, ECOG score, cough, and/or hemoptysis, as well as ANC count, represent a potential index for estimating response of unclassified IFI patients to caspofungin treatments.

Keywords: Antifungal Agents, Fruiting Bodies, Fungal, Hematologic Neoplasms